Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 14 – No. 4512 November 10, 2012
Thought for the week: "It's not what happens to us that matters, but how we react or respond to what happens to us—and that is always our responsibility." – RWI
"Don't feed the birds. It makes them overdependent on people, and they forget how to fend for themselves ... and die." – Sign on the San Clemente pier
"When we allow people to stay over-dependent on us, they never learn to become self-reliant, mature, or truly dependent on God." – Richard Innes (RWI)
"It isn't the changes that do you in, it's the transitions." – William Bridges
"Love people and use things—don't use people and love things." – Unknown
"Don't be afraid to go out on a limb—that's where the fruit is." – Unknown
"Fathom the hypocrisy of a Government that will require every citizen to prove they are insured ... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen." – Unknown
My pastor friend put sanitary, hot-air hand dryers in the rest rooms at his church and after two weeks, took them out.
I asked him why and he confessed that they worked fine, but when he went in there he saw a scribbled sign that read, "For a sample of this week's sermon, push the button."
Wishing all veterans a very Happy and Blessed Veteran's Day celebrated on Monday, November 12.
A veteran is someone who, at one point, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including their life.'
That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.
"The true soldier fights, not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." – G. K. Chesterton
Remember...
It is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given you freedom of religion.
It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given you freedom of the press.
It is the veteran, not the poet, who has given you freedom of speech.
It is the veteran, not the protester, who has given you freedom to assemble.
It is the veteran, not the lawyer, who has given you the right to a fair trial.
It is the veteran, not the politician, who has given you the right to vote.
It is the veteran, who salutes the Flag, who serves under the Flag, whose coffin is draped by the Flag.
Like the trees of the forest,
may you find nourishment
in rain as well as sunshine;
Bend with the winds of misfortune
without breaking;
Give of yourself to others
to provide shade from
the blistering heat;
Grow old gracefully and not
become rigid or unbending;
And above all —
may you keep reaching upwards
towards heaven and to God.
In listening to an interview on a recent TV news commentary, the man being interviewed talked how a current political leader, immediately following his being elected, said: "I am ready to rule."
The man then noted wisely that politicians are elected to govern—not to rule! An excellent point to be sure. This brought to mind that some pieces of equipment have an in-built governor that is a devise to govern the equipment so that it doesn't exceed its limit and go out of control.
Now that the U.S. elections are behind us, let us pray for our leaders and especially that they will be given wisdom to govern ... and not rule.
I've talked before about the importance of making moral judgments. The idea is not to encourage categorizing or labeling the character of others, but to clarify personal moral obligations in terms of specific values and attributes that make us better people and produce a better society.
The most effective framework I know is built on six core ethical values called the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.
If you want to be a person of character:
First, be worthy of trust; live with honor and integrity; be honest, keep your promises, and do what's right even when it costs more than you want to pay.
Second, treat others with respect; live by the Golden Rule; and avoid physical violence, verbal abuse, prejudice, and all other acts that demean or offend human dignity.
Third, be responsible; exercise self-discipline and self-restraint; do your best, be self-reliant, and be accountable for the consequences of your choices.
Fourth, strive to be fair, don't cheat, be open and consistent, don't jump to conclusions, and be careful in making judgments about others.
Fifth, be caring, kind, empathetic, and charitable; avoid selfishness; and do what you can to improve the lives of others.
Sixth, be a good citizen, do your share to make your community better, protect the environment, participate in democratic processes, play by the rules, and obey laws (unless you have a compelling conscientious objection).
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.1
Ed. Note: To these Six Pillars of Character I would like to add a seventh pillar: Personal Honesty. Unless a person is honest with his/her inner self (including one's true emotions and motives), he/she cannot always be trusted in the things he/she says or does, and also regarding the deeper issues of life. See Psalm 51:6 where God says that he desires truth in the inward parts.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."1
"The year was 1920. The scene was the examining board for selecting missionaries. Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald J. Smith. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, 'Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open a door of service for me.' Now, at last, his prayer would be answered.
"When the examination was over, the board turned Oswald Smith down. He did not meet their qualifications. He failed the test. Oswald Smith had set his direction, but now life gave him a detour. What would he do? As Oswald Smith prayed, God planted another idea in his heart. If he could not go as a missionary, he would build a church which could send out missionaries. And that is what he did. Oswald Smith was pastor of The People's Church in Toronto, Canada, which sent out more missionaries than any other church at that time. Oswald Smith brought God into the situation, and God transformed his detour into a main thoroughfare of service."2
Years later Oswald J. Smith had a dynamic impact on my own life that changed the course of my life and ministry. Forty years ago when I was the South Australian director of Youth for Christ, I helped organize a week of meetings with Oswald Smith in the city of Adelaide. In one service Smith preached on the power of the printed page. Now I've never heard God speak to me audibly, but that night I felt like I was hit with a big "wham" from God. I felt tremendously challenged about getting into literature (even though I never wanted to be a writer) and walked out of that meeting telling God that "some day I would do something about literature, but right then, I was too busy with my high school ministry!"
What a dumb thing to tell God! Two weeks later my high-school ministry collapsed. For something to do I wrote the gospel message I had been teaching in the classrooms, printed it, and mailed it to several hundred high school student leaders from some 50 high schools in the greater Adelaide area. Nobody was more amazed than I when I received numerous responses. I've been writing and publishing gospel literature ever since—for the first three decades in printed form and for the last decade via e-mail and the web.
And what was that first message I wrote, printed, and mailed to those high-school students? It was, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian ... without having to be religious." More than three million copies of this message have been printed and distributed. Multiplied thousands more have read it on the web and responded to it. It has also been translated into several languages. You can see a copy at: http://www.actsweb.org/christian.
So, when God puts a detour in your path, you will never know what results it may produce. And I am only one person among thousands that were impacted by the ministry of Oswald J. Smith—and multiplied thousands more have been impacted by ACTS literature and our writing ministry.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that when I daily commit and trust my life to you, you do direct my paths and lead me in the way you want me to go. Please continue to do this for all the days of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Romans 8:28 (NIV).
2. Brian L. Harbour, Rising Above the Crowd.
Cited on http://www.bible.org/
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go with peace.
Because the world is filled with deceptions and lies,
go with truth.
Because the world would die without,
go with the love of God."
